This invention relates generally to handheld games and particularly to those mimicking an activity such as cooking or baking.
A great variety of toys have been provided by practitioner""s in the art for young children which mimic or teach a plurality of activities in attempting to involve the child in game play. Such toys often include lights, sounds and movable elements such as knobs, bells, rollers, levers or the like to add interest and attraction to the game. Still other toys for young children utilize basically non-functional apparatus which is directed toward developing the hand and eye coordination skills of very young children. Such non-functional toys are often referred to in the art as xe2x80x9cbusy boxesxe2x80x9dderiving their name from the basic objective of entertaining and attracting very young children. Typical apparatus found in busy boxes includes rotatable elements such as rollers, twistable elements such as dials or knobs, visual elements such as lights and mirrors, sound elements such as bells or whistles and the like.
With the recent advances in digital electronic systems and particularly to the advances in low-cost microprocessor circuits, digital sound circuits and low-cost displays such as liquid crystal displays, an increasing number of toys for young children have become more functional then previously provided busy box toys or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,164 issued to Klawitter sets forth a TOY COMPUTER BUSY BOX ASSEMBLY in which a toy assembly is formed to simulate a computer. The toy includes hand manipulated actuating members in a keyboard section connected to image producing members in a screen section. The system utilizes a plurality of gears and levers to produce moving visible images on the screen section.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 358,421 issued to Chow et al. sets forth an ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY TOY having a table top supported by a plurality of downwardly extending legs. The tabletop in turn supports a plurality of movable elements and buttons which are interactively operated by electronic sound and light means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,284 issued to Grober et al. sets forth an INCREMENTALLY MOVED CYLINDRICAL LENS DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR TOY having a toy computer utilizing a keyboard and a simulated monitor pivotally secured by a hinge coupler. A depressible keyboard unit is pivotally supported by the keyboard and is coupled to a movable slider within the interior of the keyboard housing. A return spring is coupled to the slider and is operative to pivot the slider such that a ratchet engaging tooth is raised to engagement between keyboard strokes. An endless belt display utilizes a cylindrical lens element array together with a segmented image formed on the endless belt to provide apparent motion of the image as the endless belt is moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,762 issued to Schwartz sets forth an ELECTRONIC MATCHING AND INFORMATION ASSOCIATION GAME having a base supporting a plurality of pieces defining different outlines or otherwise differently configured. Each piece is engageable with an individual location on the playing surface of the game unit base. A set of display elements each associated with one of the locations is activated to indicate visibly when a piece is engaged with its associated location. An electrical operating circuit activates the display elements successfully when the correct piece is engaged with its corresponding location.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 260,023 issued to Pagni et al. sets forth an ELECTRONIC GAME CASING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BASE SUPPORTING AN UPWARDLY OPEN HEMISPHERICAL HOUSING a plurality of differently shaped buttons are supported on the face together with electronic means for playing a game.
U.S. Patent Des. No. 321,215 issued to Shamis sets forth an ELECTRONIC TOY having a generally rectangular housing supporting a plurality of depressible buttons. Each of the buttons further supports an icon corresponding to a different basic shape such as triangle, circle, star and the like.
U.S. Patent Des. No. 333 060 issued to Perego sets forth a COMBINED HIGHCHAIR TRAY AND ACTIVITY TOY having a game unit securable to a conventional tray of the type used on highchairs or the like. The game unit supports a simulated telephone together with a plurality of movable buttons and levers.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 352,529 issued. to Ho sets forth a JOYSTICK having an electronic game housed within a generally planar housing. The upper surface of the game unit housing supports a plurality of buttons and dials together with a vertically extending joystick. The joystick includes a round knob at the upper end thereof.
U.S. Patent Des. No. 411,863 issued to Chan sets forth an HAND-HELD ELECTRONIC GAME having a housing supporting a plurality of knobs and buttons together with a pair of side grips. The housing further supports a plurality of upper buttons and a generally rectangular display screen.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extend improved the art and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more improved, interesting and amusing handheld games.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provided an improved handheld game. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide and improved handheld game simulating a cookie making activity.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a game for simulating the making of cookies, the game comprising: a housing having an upper surface defining a plurality of cookie cutter apertures, a roller aperture and a batter bowl image having a handle aperture therein; a roller rotatably supported by the housing and partially extending through the roller aperture and a roller switch actuated by the roller; a plurality of cookie cutter buttons each supported in one of the cookie cutter apertures and a corresponding plurality of cookie cutter switches each actuated by one of the cookie cutter buttons; a handle movably supported in the handle aperture and a stirring switch supported by the housing actuated by movement of the handle; a display screen supported on the upper surface for displaying images thereon; and a control circuit having a display driver for forming images on the display screen having inputs coupled to the roller switch, the plurality of cookie cutter switches and the handle switch, the control circuit, the display driver and the display screen cooperating to form an image on the display screen each time one of the switches is actuated.